Brazilian player dies after collapsing on pitch

October 28, 2004 10:54 IST

Sao Caetano defender Serginho has died after suffering a cardio-respiratory arrest on the pitch and collapsing during the Brazilian championship match against Sao Paulo on Wednesday, the club said on their website.

The match was abandoned after Serginho, full name Paulo Sergio de Oliveira Silva, was taken to hospital early in the second half of the game at the Morumbi stadium in Sao Paulo.

Television pictures showed him being carried off as doctors attempted to revive him.

Sao Caetano president Nairo Ferreira told reporters at the Sao Luiz hospital that the defender died shortly after arrival.

Serginho, 30, had been at Sao Caetano since 1999. He had previously played for a number of smaller, unfashionable clubs including Mogi Mirim, Democrata, Ipatinga and Aracatuba.

His death occurred just hours after Senegal international Khalilou Fadiga collapsed during the pre-game warm-up

for Bolton Wanderers' English League Cup match at home against Tottenham Hotspur.

Bolton said Fadiga, who underwent heart surgery in May to correct an abnormal heartbeat, had fainted and was being held overnight in hospital.

Earlier this year, Benfica's Hungarian international striker Miklos Feher died during a Portuguese league match in January, seven months after Cameroon international Marc-Vivien Foe collapsed and died while playing in the Confederations Cup tournament in France.